Asylum under Rudd: tough, or just shonky? - Labor is being tougher and more ruthless with asylum seekers than the Howard Government, according to an analysis of decisions made by Immigration Minister Chris Evans, where he rejected 97.6% of intervention applications since coming to power.

Rudd re-opens Derby's Curtin detention hell - With an election looming, Kevin Rudd becomes Howard-lite and his henchman all at once: the memory of the Curtin detention centre awakens fears of torture, vilification, being beaten up by guards and locked in grave isolation compounds.

World Outrage about Kevin Rudd's Big Asylum Freeze - From psychiatrist Jon Juredini to Malcolm Fraser, from human rights lawyer Greg Barns to Andrew Bartlett, outrage swelled fast around Kevin Rudd's processing freeze of Sri Lankan and Afghan asylum seekers, and it went international within a week.

Labor chooses John Howard's Excision Zone - 'Refugee advocates have accused the Federal Government of abandoning its softer approach to asylum seekers.' An expose of Labor's ambivalence about John Howard's shocking refugee exclusion zone and its sneaky choice.

Coal Industry overheats Kevin's Climate - Anna Rose at the 2020 Summit: I found myself in the climate stream with representatives of coal mining companies including Xstrata and Shell, yet not a single person from an environment NGO such as Greenpeace ...

The ALP's me-too refugee policy - Just before the election, Kevin Rudd tells the ABC's 7.30 Report presenter Kerry O'Brien that he's prepared to turn boats back to Indonesia, a policy brazenly in contravention with Australia's obligations under the UN Refugee Convention.

The 2010 Anti-Smuggling Legislation - Do we want to punish smugglers, or secretly close our borders? See Project SafeCom's Senate Submission and share our doubts about this brazen law proposal that would land even Tampa Captain Arne Rinnan in jail as a smuggler.

The unthrown kids - All the photographs of the "children overboard" incident in 2001 - leaked to Project SafeCom after the incident: they show gratefulness. They show fathers who are tired, but moved. They show mothers who smile, in deep love for their children and thankfulness for the rescue...

Hadi Ahmadi: Smuggler or Escape Organiser? - Perhaps it is true that, contrary to what happens on the European smuggling routes and strategies, Australian 'smugglers' cannot and should not be called 'smugglers', because they simply bring refugees home to UN safety in Australia.

Alcatraz Down Under: Christmas Island - The monstrosity is complete. Like a gigantic scar cutting through the pristine wilderness, the Christmas Island detention centre blights not just the hillside of the island, but also the Australian psyche. We now have our own prison island.

For the Record: photographs

Stand up for Refugees

A Rally on the first sitting day of the new Parliament

Tuesday 16 November 2004 in Canberra

On this page, we present twenty-four photos of the Stand up for Refugees Rally on Parliament House on November 16, 2004, the opening day of the new Parliament, elected at the 2004 election, an election which gave the neo-conservative Howard government a majority in the House of Representatives as well as in the Senate.

From the organisers came the statement: "The re-election of the Coalition Government poses an enormous challenge for refugee activists. Yet it is one we must rise to meet."

Consequently, Project SafeCom was there, because we showed we want to be counted!

Related pages:

24 October 2004: A Canberra Rally: Stand up for Refugees - The re-election of the Coalition Government poses an enormous challenge for refugee activists. Yet it is one we must rise to meet. A page about a rally in Canberra on Tuesday 16 November 2004, the first sitting day of the new Parliament.

13 November 2004: Refugees: ensuring renewed national attention - A massive contingent of refugee advocates, supporters and activists is expected to descend on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra this Tuesday under the theme "Stand Up for Refugees" to make their presence felt during the opening day of the new parliament and the start of a new term of the Howard government.

The Field of Hearts 1

The Field of Hearts 2

The Field of Hearts 3

Assembly in front of the Australian High Court

A contingent marches to the High Court

Leaving from the High Court

Arrival at Parliament House

Gathering the numbers

"Any protest that outnumbers the police is a success" (Bob Brown)

Balloons for Refugees 1

Merlin Luck, Speakers Chair

Balloons for Refugees 2

Merlin Luck

ChilOut Ambassadors

Sam Watson

Bob Brown: "Mr Howard, do not ask God to do what you should do yourself!"

Pensive, attentive crowd

Spotted: 'Peace-Nic' and Kate from Perth

Tony Kevin, with Susan Kinley and friend Peter

Moira Smith 'from Kambah' at the Project SafeCom stall

A silent and determined protester

View from patio level one (towards Old Parliament House, Shrine of Remembrance)